Quantity Surveyor

As a Quantity Surveyor, you create budgets and schedules for the various parts of a construction project. The Quantity Surveyor keeps up to date with industry labor expenses, are familiar with supply and delivery costs, and negotiate contracts with everyone from subcontractors to suppliers. In addition to creating budgets and working out timelines, the Quantity Surveyor also makes sure the project adheres to company policies and governmental building codes.

This job keeps you hopping from one area of expertise to another. For example, you might start the day by analyzing supply lists, looking for ways to save money on different supplies, suppliers, or delivery schedules. Over lunch, you might weigh the costs against the benefits in an effort to evaluate whether the project could be done on time and within budget. Before heading home, the Quantity Surveyor might write a report that outlines research, calculations, and recommendations for the project.

Your days are a whirlwind because you’re rarely focused on just one project at a time. Files, phone calls, emails, memos, and texts correspond with several projects simultaneously, so be sure to bring your organization hat to work each day. In addition to organizational skills, you’ll also tap into your decision-making capabilities, your ability to read and comprehend blueprints, your time-management skills, and your capacity for communicating with workers, suppliers, management, and other members of the construction project team.